Friends’ Team Jumps the Big Jump

Half a dozen members of the Friends of the Chicago River team of 20 jumped into the Main Stem of the Chicago River yesterday as a kick off to the Chicago River Swim alongside dozens of other jumpers including elected officials, Olympic athletes, nonprofit partners, ALS community members, and the media. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson kicked off the event with Congressman Mike Quigley (IL-5), Swim Founder Doug McConnel, Chicago Department of Environment Commissioner Angela Tovar among others.

“I could have swam all day,” said Annette Anderson, volunteer, events, and canoe programs manager. “The water was wonderful and it was such a joy to see everyone so happy and celebrating the river as a core part of our city.” Other team members include Josh Coles, Annie Hanrahan, Becky Lyons, Kathryn Mauery, and Jessica Palmer. Board Member Harry Lamberton will be swimming in the event on Sunday.

Friends’ executive director, Margaret Frisbie (pictured above), joined other dignitaries at the podium and spoke about the joy, magic, and opportunity the Big Jump and Swim present, and the 47 years of action, advocacy, and investment that led to this day.

On September 14, Frisbie also joined reporter Lisa Kurian Philip on WBEZ’s In the Loop with Sasha-Ann Simons program to talk about the resurgence of The Big Jump – first hosted by Friends nearly a decade ago – by the Chicago River Swim team.

The Big Jump was launched by Friends and Cook County Commissioner Josina Morita in 2017 to change peoples’ perception of the river and whether we have the right to swim in it. Federally approved water quality standards protect swimming for most reaches of the Chicago-Calumet River system. The Big Jump helped shift the conversation about swimming in the Chicago River from “if” to “when.”